Life

Why’s your hood open baby girl?

February 5, 2015

Any other women hate it when you have to look under your hood at a gas station? If you do, is it because you hate looking under your hood or because at least three, maybe five men will ask if you are okay? I so dread it. Instead of being thankful that anyone would offer help, I get in, “I’m a woman, I can fix things.” defense mode and act like I know exactly what’s going on. Avoiding any and all eye contact with men is key.

Today I opened the hood of my field truck in a Wawa parking lot because I thought I heard something scratching- like a mouse or a skunk or a live kitten. Nothing was there. Less than five men asked if I was okay so it wasn’t bad. But when I went to shut it, my hood wouldn’t latch. Six times I tried to shut it.

I drove to Walmart to buy WD-40 and a screwdriver. Pride. It still wouldn’t shut.

So I drove two hours with a hood latched halfway to get to the only maintenance shop I know of that is on our approved maintenance vendor list- the Jiffy Lube where I get oil changes. An older guy met me in the parking lot and said, “why’s your hood open baby girl”? He called me baby girl. No joke. So I said, “umm. that’s why I’m here,” with a ton of attitude. Before I got to the part about “approved vendors and “state contracts” and “WD-40”. He punched the hood with his fist, and said “It shuts now.” And it did. Of course it did. I thank the WD-40. So there you go. When your hood is open and some guy asks “Why is your hood open baby girl?”. Just let him try to shut it. Or when you need help and someone offers to help you, just accept it. Who cares if they call you baby girl and make it awkward.

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Life lessons.